In the Saddle with Daniel Tudhope: Prospect of York’s Dante kick-starting Flat season is exciting one

I enjoyed a good season at Knavesmire in 2013 with seven winners and a fair few places, so I’ll be hoping for more of the same this year.

I am reluctant to set myself targets, but 100 winners overall during the turf season would be good and it’s a number I would like to achieve.

I have enjoyed a good week so far in Yorkshire, with three winners at Beverley and Catterick.

Wednesday and yesterday saw me at the Roodee for the Chester May Meeting and that’s where I am starting today.

Frontier Fighter goes in the opener at 1.45pm. Although six of his seven wins have come on all-weather surfaces, I think he could be just as good a horse on grass.

This will be his first run at Chester which is a unique course; some horses take to it and some don’t. I think the tight track will suit him because he has plenty of speed.

That one ride will be me done with Chester for the week and I then jump in the car and head back to Yorkshire for the evening fixture at Ripon.

I ride Ardmay for Yorkshire trainer Kevin Ryan in the 7.35pm race.

This is the first time I have sat on the horse but I know that Kevin’s daughter and former champion apprentice, Amy – who was last season’s The Yorkshire Post columnist – thinks a lot of him. He’s a little bit of a Ripon specialist and won at the track this time last year.

Hopefully he can go well there again.

My second ride at the ‘Garden Racecourse’ is 35 minutes later on Highland Acclaim.

He has yet to get his head in front in seven efforts, but ran decently in a £100,000 handicap at Newmarket last month for me.

He has lots of ability and is a keen racer. It’s taking time for him to come really good but I think we will get there.

Saturday sees me heading south to Ascot. The reason for the trip is to partner Louis The Pious in the Victoria Cup heritage handicap race which is at 3.50pm.

It will be a tough race and very competitive, as ever, but he goes there with a decent chance.

He will need a bit of luck, but I am hopeful.

The horse topped and tailed his season with runs on Knavesmire last year without finding his best, but he was runner-up in the Ayr Gold Cup and, most recently, he was a narrow second at Haydock Park.

After the weekend, our thoughts will inevitably turn in earnest to the three-day Dante Festival which begins at York on Wednesday.

The fantastic news is that the three days will see record prize-money of £1m as well as the opening of the new pre-parade ring.

Running plans are still fluid, but I think we could see Repeater going for the £140,000 Group 2 Yorkshire Cup, part of the QIPCO British Champions Series, a week today.

He is a lovely horse. In his races he’s invariably the one who is last off the bridle and sometimes it’s a case of whether he finds a bit extra or not.

Whether or not he runs at York, he’s a horse I am really looking forward to riding this season.

He has great potential and I think we’ll see him feature in the ‘Cup’ races.

Enjoy the first two days of the Dante Festival. Next Friday I’ll offer my detailed thoughts on the prospects for the final day of the meeting and reflect on the opening rides.

Racing returns to York for the Dante Festival – Wednesday, May 14, Thursday, May 15 and Friday, May 16. To book, go to www.yorkracecourse.co.uk or call 01904 620 911. Gate admission ranges from £5 to £32. A Group Two race on each day offering six-figure prize-money, to a cumulative record of £1m for the Festival. The first race time on each day is 1.45pm, with gates opening at 11.15am.